The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team skipped across Germany and into the Czech Republic this past weekend, as the fifth race of the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship was run on the hard-pack hillside of Loket. A limited number of fans were welcomed into the round, which was held in mixed weather conditions that included temperatures as high as 30 degrees.

Jeremy Seewer continued to climb back up the leaderboard – he showed good pace in all three sessions at Loket. Seewer was fourth in the qualifying session, before fighting up from the lower half of the top ten to secure fifth in the first moto of the day. The second moto was where he really shined. Seewer charged into second at the halfway point and begun to chase down the leader, whilst setting some of the fastest laps of the race. Second was the position that he eventually secured in the moto and, when combined with his fifth in moto one, that was enough for third overall too. Seewer sits fifth in the standings, just forty-three points down on the leader.

Glenn Coldenhoff continued his fine form aboard the YZ450FM, as he raced to fourth in the first moto after starting on the cusp of the top five. It was redemption for the rider who was robbed of a podium finish at his home Grand Prix a week ago. The second stint followed a similar pattern – Coldenhoff started inside of the top five and engaged in a handful of battles throughout the moto. Fourth was the spot that he took at the chequered flag and that was, unsurprisingly, enough for fourth overall on the day. Seventh is the position that he occupies in the championship standings.
 
Ben Watson continued to show flashes of brilliance in his first term in the premier class – his potential was clear for all to see as he chased down the race leaders early in moto one and recorded the third-fastest lap of the race. Watson hit the chequered flag in eleventh and then turned his attention to moto two. A mediocre start in the second moto made life difficult, but he charged on and took twelfth at the chequered flag. That left him in tenth in the overall classification and helped him maintain tenth in the championship standings.
 
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP will race close to home again this coming weekend; the Grand Prix of Flanders-Belgium will be held in the bottomless sand of Lommel and provide a true test of both man and machine. The race will be held in front of spectators on August 01.

Jeremy Seewer: "I got sick before the start of the season, so I was lucky to be back before Russia, but I felt like my health was almost back to normal last weekend. Today I felt good. I am really happy to be back and to be back on the podium. The next GP at Lommel is kind of a home GP... Most of the GP riders live around there. It's really close to our homes and I like it there. It's always really rough and fun to ride, so I look forward to going there."

Glenn Coldenhoff: "Coming into this weekend, I didn't have a great week because of the crash I had in the second moto at Oss. I didn't do much this week, mainly recovery and just a little bit of training. We had a different goal for this weekend, and that was to finish two times inside the top five. Goal achieved but as a racer you always want more, especially in the second moto. I felt really comfortable, so it was a shame that I couldn't pass [Jorge] Prado. Fourth overall is not so bad. I'm happy to finish with a good feeling and ready to move onto Lommel next week."

Ben Watson: "I had an amazing start in the first race – I was in second and Tim [Gajser] passed me straight away. I was comfortable and riding my own lines; I had a bit of pressure after the ten-minute mark and lost my rhythm. I must take the positives from that and move forward. Next week will be my first real sand race on the 450. I am looking forward to it and we will see how that goes."